


The city comes alive when we're together

by sophie_enoshima



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe, High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-05
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-24 23:27:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6170857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophie_enoshima/pseuds/sophie_enoshima
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>We could be amazing you know. We could be the stars in the sky, casting light into the dark void of loneliness. If only you’d see me the way I see you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It's both a blessing and a curse to feel something so very deeply

**Author's Note:**

> I saw the quote in the summary on tumblr and got super inspired to write some Komahina. This story is going to be a mix of angst and fluff because for some reason I enjoy making them suffer :')))

“Come on, Hajime. I can see the top!” Nagito grinned as he ran up another set of stairs.

Hajime clung to the banister, trying to catch his breath. “Why did the lift have to be broken?”

Nagito giggled “It's more fun to take the stairs.” he paused, waiting for his friend to catch up.

"Fun for you maybe." Hajime muttered, walking and talking at the same time was a bad idea.

Nagito grabbed Hajime by the wrist “Come on, let me help you.”

Hajime let himself be guided up the final few stairs. After twelve flights, they were finally there.

Nagito pushed the bar on the door, causing it to swing open, there was no one around to stop him. They stepped out onto the rooftop, hit instantly by a breeze - the result of being twelve stories up. A thin railing ran around the perimeter of the rooftop, the only thing there to stop them from going over the edge. Nagito ran straight to it and pushed himself against it, thankfully it took his weight. Hajime copied though he felt slightly apprehensive.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Nagito smiled, admiring the city around him. 

Hajime had to agree, the view was outstanding. He could see the entire city, even his favourite hang out spots. "Who would have thought that an old office building could have such a cool view?" he was still amazed that they hadn't been caught by security. 

Nagito laughed, as he liked to say, beauty can flourish where you least expect it. He was always discovering hidden spots in the city. Hajime was lucky enough to have them shared with him. It was an honor, Nagito wouldn't show them to just anyone. 

“The sun’ll be setting soon, that’s when the view is best.” Nagito explained, a soppy smile on his face.

Nagito's smile was infectious, Hajime found himself grinning back. Nagito was brought to life by beautiful things, it lit a spark in his eyes and brought passion to his smile. Watching Nagito talk about the things he loved reminded Hajime of how in love with the boy he was.

Hajime wrapped his arms around himself, the bitter air nipping at him.

Nagito picked up on his friend's shivering, he was protected from the weather with his thick jacket  "Are you cold? We can go if it's too much."

Hajime shook his head, he wouldn't let his chattering teeth dampen his spirits "I'm fine." 

Nagito didn't seem convinced, "If you're sure. I don't want to keep you up here if you're bored."

"Nagito..." Hajime said sternly "You could never bore me." 

Nagito blushed. He ran a hand a through his hair in the attempt to busy himself, clearly embarrassed being complimented. Hajime wondered how someone who loved beautiful things so much could see no beauty in himself. 

Nagito reached into his jacket and pulled out a polaroid camera, it wasn't his so he held it with care. He didn't fancy receiving a lecture from the ultimate photographer for damaging it. "I thought I'd take some photos." he explained though it was obvious. Nagito was always taking photos of them together, he had a collection of them in the dormitory they shared. "Can we take a picture now?"  
  
"Sure." Hajime replied. He wasn't particularly photogenic but he couldn't bring himself to say no. "We have to get the city in the background!"

The boys turned around, their backs pressed against the railing - which was still thankfully supporting their weight. Nagito held the camera in the air and turned the lens towards them, trying to his best to line it up with their faces. Hajime leaned in towards Nagito to fit in the frame, making the most of being so close to his best friend. 

"Smile!" Nagito laughed as he pressed down the shutter.

Hajime stuck his tongue out at the camera, his usual choice for a pose. 

Nagito grabbed the photo as soon as it printed from the camera, shaking it to try and hurry up its development. Meanwhile, Hajime turned back around. He felt uneasy resting his back on the railing, it was the only thing there stopping him from falling to his death. "Hey, Nagito! The sun's starting to set." he tapped him eagerly on the shoulder.

Nagito looked at the view in front of him in awe, he'd seen it many a time but it never failed to impress him. 

Hajime turned his head between the setting sun and his best friend, both as equally beautiful. It was times like this he treasured the most, temporary moments of bliss away from the world. Nothing could bring him down or take away his happiness. It was a shame the moment was so fleeting. 

Hajime looked down at this watch and let out a sigh "We should probably get heading back to school, we've still got to catch the train." though students could leave the campus as they wished, it was frowned upon to be out too late in the evening. Besides, Hajime didn't want to miss dinner.

"Alright, let's go." Nagito nodded, slipping the picture back into his pocket before Hajime could see. He added with a smile "Although, are you sure you're ready to face those stairs again?"

Thankfully, it was a lot easier travelling down the stairs than it had been coming up them. They took two at a time, wary they might get caught by security. They knew they'd be in serious trouble with the school if that happened. To their relief, they managed to make it outside without bumping into a single person.

"How's the photo look?" Hajime asked, walking with his hands in his pockets.

Nagito nodded with enthusiasm "It looks good, I'll show you when we get back to school." 

They made it to the train station in good time since it was only a few streets away. Luck was on their side as the train was already sitting in the station. With return tickets in hand, they climbed aboard. Hajime let Nagito take the seat by the window since he knew he'd get more enjoyment out of it. Hajime gazed down at this watch again, they were missing dinner. He tried not to feel too disappointed, he'd picked an evening with Nagito over a jacket potato any day of the week. 

The train chugged slowly through the city, passing buildings and trees. Hajime looked down at Nagito who had fallen asleep on his shoulder. The journey back to school was short, but there enough time for a nap. Hajime gently reached out and stroked his hair, a fluffy white ball of cotton candy. The boy didn’t stir. Hajime leaned his own head against Nagito's, he wanted to pause the moment and live in it forever.

As the train rattled along, Hajime began to wonder what Nagito was dreaming about. Whatever it was, a hint of a smile danced on his lips. Hajime wondered if Nagito ever dreamt about him because he certainly dreamt about Nagito. Even when he was awake, Hajime was dreaming about him, about the life they could have together. The life they _would_ have together.

Hajime was aware that if there's one thing life doesn't offer you, it's certainties. Despite that, there was something he was sure of, that he would end up with Nagito Komaeda. They would live out the best parts of their lives with one another, of that he was certain. He couldn’t imagine a life without Nagito, with someone else standing there in his place. He and Nagito were meant to be, everyone said so. He couldn’t make it through the week without someone asking him when they were finally going to get together. Of course, neither of them would answer that question. They would just laugh awkwardly and pass it off. Though it was only their second year together at Hope's Peak, they'd been inseparable the entire time. There was no one else Hajime wanted.

He was pretty sure what he felt was love, though he found that word a little scary. When he was around Nagito everything felt okay, he felt safe. He wasn't one to act over confident but he was pretty sure Nagito felt the same way. Unless he was reading into things too much, the signs were all there. Nagito was always loyally by his side, backing and supporting every decision he made. Nagito looked at Hajime like he did the sunset. He had to feel the same, they were meant for each other.

There was one thing that stopped Hajime from telling Nagito about his feelings, which to no surprise was rejection. Though he was pretty certain Nagito felt the same way, he didn't know for sure. With a lack of psychic abilities, Hajime was left with nothing but speculation. He could never know for sure. It would destroy him if Nagito didn't reciprocate his feelings. It was this thought which had stopped him from ever saying anything. He was left with no choice but to hope that fate would bring them together, if he waited long enough everything would just fall into place.

The train slowed down, pulling gradually into the station. Hajime moved his head away from Nagito’s, he was back in reality again. To the world where he and Nagito were just friends.

“Hey, we’re here.” he whispered softly. Not wanting to startle the boy, he shook him gently.

Nagito opened his eyes slowly, adjusting to the light. “Huh?” it took him a second to realise he’d fallen asleep on Hajime’s shoulder and quickly pulled himself away upon the realisation.

Hajime laughed “Apparently my shoulder made quite the pillow.”

“I’m so sorry.” Nagito’s cheeks flushed red “You don’t want someone like me touching you. You should have woken me.”

Hajime shook his head. It was moments like that he had to make the most of. “I thought I’d let you get some rest.”

"You're too nice to me." Nagito said, not that he was complaining.

They kept up a fast pace walking back to campus, the air was only growing colder. Dinner was long over by the time they got back, but there were vending machines to stop them from starving. Hajime laughed at his vending machine dinner spread across the floor. Two chocolate bars and a bottle of a soda. So non-nutritional, he knew his mother would be horrified. He didn't care, he was happy to sacrifice anything if meant spending time with Nagito. Time with him was precious, too precious.

If only he knew how little of it he had left...

 


	2. A dream. A laugh. A kiss. A cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My internet is playing up so badly right now omg, this is taking forever to post.  
> I hope you enjoy ^.^

“Hajime, here’s your pen back.” Hajime couldn't remember a time Souda had ever come equipped to class.

Hajime eyed up his pen in disgust, the chew marks at the end were a new addition. “Uh, you can keep it.” he didn’t want to touch anything that had come from Souda’s mouth. The boy didn’t have bad hygiene, but it still grossed him out.

“Thanks, dude.” Souda grinned. He’d never learn, he’d be asking to borrow another pen tomorrow.

Hajime turned to his right, not wanting his back to face Nagito for too long since he thought it rude. Nagito was doodling away in his notebook, killing time since he’d finished the work ahead of everyone else. Hajime was about to disturb him to ask for the answer to a difficult question, when the lesson ended. Their teacher let them go early, as per usual. She was more interested in taking a cigarette break than actually teaching her class.

“Ready to go to lunch?” Hajime asked Nagito as he packed up his things.

Nagito’s growling stomach answered on his behalf.

The canteen was deserted since they'd been released before the bell. Besides from the odd few stragglers, the boys had it all to themselves. They went straight to the front of the queue, and were able to snag their favourite table by the window. The day looked promising.

Hajime stabbed his fork into his pasta, more violently than intended. “You know, I still haven’t seen that photo from yesterday.”

“Oh, that’s right!” Nagito exclaimed, it had totally slipped his mind. “I left it in my jacket, I can go and get it for you now if you’d like.”

Hajime waved his hand in protest, Nagito wasn’t his slave. “It’s alright, you can show me later.”

“I might hold onto Mahiru’s camera for a little longer.” Nagito said. “The quality is so much better than my phone.”

“Just so long as you don’t break it. You’d never hear the end of it if you did.” Hajime grinned, he knew Mahiru took her property very seriously.

“I know, it was -” Nagito was cut short. A large group of students had burst into the canteen, making so much noise they sounded like a mixture of a zoo and a marching band.

Hajime gritted his teeth. He wasn’t a kill joy by any means, but he liked to be able to hear himself speak when having lunch. He glared over at the students, he didn’t recognise any of them.

“They must be the new first years.” Nagito said, staring at them too.

They’d only been back at school a few days, it was no wonder why the students showed little regard for the school rules and other people’s privacy. “Sorry, you were saying something…” Hajime said, in the attempt to bring the conversation back on track.

“Oh, right!” Nagito said. “I was just going to say -”

“Excuse me, boys…” their conversation was interrupted again, this time by a feminine voice. 

Hajime looked up to see who was disturbing them now. He didn’t recognise the girl standing at the edge of their table, she had to be a first year. “Can I help you?” he asked, sounding hostile without meaning to.

“I’m Sayaka Maizono.” she introduced herself with a smile, apparently not put off by Hajime’s rudeness. “I’m one of the new first years here at Hope's Peak!”

“Nice to meet you, Sayaka.” Nagito responded politely, unphased that the girl was interrupting his lunch. “I’m Nagito and this is Hajime.”

“It’s lovely to meet you.” Sayaka said, her voice sickly sweet.

Nagito returned the compliment “Likewise.” he said.

Hajime tried not to roll his eyes, the entire exchange seemed pointless. “Like I said, can we help you?” he repeated, a hint for her to get on with whatever she had to say.

“Ah yes, I have something for you.” Sayaka delved into the messenger bag that was balancing on her shoulder and pulled out two envelopes. She handed one to each of the boys.

Hajime inspected the envelope before opening it, there was no name written on the front. He reluctantly tore it open, not really interested to find out what was inside. A bubblegum pink card fell onto his lap.

_You’re invited to Sayaka Maizono’s back to school celebration party!_

_  
_ _Where?...Hope’s Peak Academy gym_

_When?...Tonight. 9:30 p.m._

_Why?...To celebrate of course!_

 

_Tell as many of your friends as possible, I hope to see you there :-)_

 

Hajime held it away from his face, the bright colours and swirly writing hurt his eyes. It was a little much. “A back to school celebration party?” he read aloud. 

“It’s only the first week into a new school year, so I thought it would be fun to celebrate.” Sayaka explained herself.

“But aren’t you new here?” Hajime frowned. He couldn’t understand the logic behind a first year throwing a ‘back to school’ party. The girl had only been at Hope's Peak for a few days.

“In the school gym huh…” Nagito said, reading his own invite “I’m surprised the principal allowed that!”

“Oh, the principal doesn’t know.” Sayaka giggled “Technically I don’t have permission, but that won't stop me from throwing an awesome party.”

“Right…” Hajime said, he would never have the confidence to do something so bold and rebellious.

“So anyway, the party is tonight. Tell all your friends, we want as many people there as possible.” Sayaka chatted away.

"Will do.” Hajime said, despite having no intentions to tell anyone whatsoever. He just wanted the girl away from his table so he could get back to his food.

“I’ll see you boys later then.” she waved at them before backing off from the table, returning to her friends.

“It sounds fun!” Nagito said, as soon as the girl had gone.

“You wanna go?” Hajime raised his eyebrows, he hadn’t expected Nagito to be interested. He thought he was just playing along for the sake of being polite.

Nagito shrugged it off, picking up that his best friend wasn’t so keen. “Well...only if you want to. I don't mind staying in."

The party wasn’t something Hajime particularly fancied attending, but he could tell Nagito wanted to go. If the party was going to make Nagito happy, then it would be worth it. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad. “I think it might be fun. We should go.”

 

***

 

“Do you think we ought to bring something, like some food?” Nagito asked, his legs swinging down from the top bunk.

“Uh…” Hajime paused, trying to smooth down his t-shirt which was in desperate need of an iron “Sayaka didn’t mention it, so I think we’ll be okay.”

“I hope she doesn’t mind if we turn up empty handed.” Nagito frowned, causing his forehead to crease. The last thing he wanted was to upset the party host.

“I doubt she even cares.” Hajime said reassuringly. He backed away from the mirror, his t-shirt was as neat as it was going to get without an iron. “Okay, I’m ready.”

Nagito jumped down from the top bunk, not bothering to take the stairs. He winced slightly as his feet smacked against the ground, his knees hadn't taken kindly to the fall. “You look really nice, Hajime.”

Hajime wasn’t sure how Nagito could stand there and say that. His scrunched up t-shirt and worn out trainers were nothing compared to the sophisticated navy sweater Nagito had opted for. He thanked him all the same.

It still confused Hajime how Sayaka was going to throw a party in the school’s gym without getting caught. Granted, the teacher’s accommodation was situated far enough away from the main campus, but the entire thing seemed risky. Surely someone would get them reported. He hoped it wouldn't get him in too much trouble for turning up to the party, detention was the last thing he needed.

“Are you sure the party’s in the here?” Nagito asked as they stood outside the double doors which led to the gymnasium. The area around them was deserted.

Hajime fished out the invitation that he’d bothered holding onto from his pocket “That’s what it says.” doubt was beginning to form in his mind. All he could hear was Nagito’s breathing and a clunking sound coming from the pipes, it didn’t sound like there were any parties nearby. Had he been stitched up?

“Well, if that’s what the invite says…” Nagito slowly pushed open the doors in front of him.

Apparently, the gym was soundproof. They were hit with bright lights and loud music the second Nagito opened the door. There were already loads of people inside. Hajime found himself smiling, they hadn’t been tricked after all.

Silly string covered the floor, sticking to everyone's shoes. Balloons were scattered around the place as well being hung from the walls. The bleachers had been transformed into a table for all the food and drink that Sayaka had provided. To top it all off, a large sound system had been set up on the stage - Hajime recognised the song that was playing, it was one of his favourites. He had to admit, he was impressed. 

“Hajime! Nagito!” Souda called out to them, he seemed merry, sipping from a plastic cup.

“Hey.” Hajime waved at him “I didn’t know you were coming.”

Souda nodded "Yeah well, Miss Sonia said she was coming. I'm here to make sure she's safe." in other words he was there to stalk the girl he'd been crushing on since forever.

"How noble of you." Hajime smirked, teasing him slightly.

"Are you going to have a dance?" Souda asked them as he pointed to the group of students rocking out in front of the speakers.

"Definitely not." Nagito laughed "I wouldn't want to pain you with my terrible dance moves."

"Oh come on." Hajime nudged him with his elbow playfully. "It might be fun."

Nagito wasn't persuaded "You don't want to dance with someone like me. But maybe Souda will go up with you?"

"Sorry man, but I'm saving my dances for Miss Sonia only." Souda said, nearly spilling his drink as he spoke with his hands.

"I guess that's a no for dancing then." Hajime laughed, he wasn't _that_ dissapointed. 

They were spotted by Sayaka who was on the dancefloor herself. She danced over to them “I’m so glad you’ve come. It’s a pretty good turn out, don’t you think?”

Hajime nodded. He hadn’t been expecting many people to show - especially at such late notice. “You’ve done a great job.”

“Let me get you boys something to drink.” she guided them over to the bleachers, doing her best to steer them through the crowds. “How about some punch?”

Nagito shook his head “Ah no thank you. I’m not really one for drinking.”

“Oh don’t worry, it’s alcohol free.” Sayaka said “Just fruit juices.”

“I guess one glass wouldn’t hurt then.” Nagito picked up a plastic cup and helped himself to some punch using the ladle. He made up a cup for Hajime too.

Hajime downed the drink in one, he hadn’t realised how thirsty he was. It tasted good, whatever juices were in there mixed well. He instantly helped himself to a second serving.

They ditched Sayaka and Souda, finding their own place at the party. Though they didn't dance, they tapped their feet to the music and sung along to their favourite songs - whoever was picking the tracks had good taste. The night wore on and Hajime found himself laughing more and more, perhaps it was something to do with the punch that he'd had several glasses of. Everything felt right. The loud music and bright lights made him feel alive. He wanted to yell at the top of his lungs how happy he was.

"I'm...I'm...going to get more punch. Do you want some?" Hajime asked Nagito, he found himself slurring for some reason.

Nagito frowned. He'd only had a couple of glasses and had already noticed a change in himself. "I think something might be off with that punch. Maybe you should hang off a second."

"It's fine." Hajime had to shout to be heard over the music. Was everything getting louder or was it his imagination? He could feel his temperature rising too. "Wow, it's really warm in here." he used his hands to fan himself, though it wasn't very effective. 

"Hajime, Nagito!" Sayaka hurried over to them, an expression of panic on her face. "You haven't had much of that punch have you?"

"I've only had a couple glasses." Nagito replied.

"I've had seven servings." Hajime grinned, mistakingly holding up six fingers.

"Is something wrong with it?" Nagito asked, pushing down Hajime's hand to stop him from looking like an idiot.

“It turns out some of the boys spiked it!” Sayaka cried out. She grabbed a handful of her hair in a flustered panic, her attention on Hajime “He seems really drunk, you might want to take him outside.”

Nagito nodded. He threw his arm around Hajime for support "Come on, let's get some air."

"That sounds fun." Hajime muttered to himself.

Nagito guided Hajime out of the gym, it was significantly quieter outside. He thought about taking him to their dorm, but fresh air seemed like the best medicine. He couldn't take him out on the school grounds because the doors got locked up at night. There was only one place he could think of, a place the teachers never bothered to shut off. 

“Are we on the rooftop?” Hajime asked, deducing his surroundings from the high wind and impressive view.

“Yes, we are.” Nagito answered, removing his hold from Hajime now they were at their destination. “It’s not the most practical place but I couldn’t think of anywhere else.”

“It’s not as impressive as our rooftop.” Hajime frowned.

"Our rooftop?" Nagito repeated, unsure what Hajime was waffling on about.

"The place we went yesterday." Hajime said "Our rooftop." 

Nagito smiled to himself “I like that name, it’s like a special place just for us.”

“It can always be ours.” Hajime slurred.

“Is the fresh air helping?” Nagito asked, changing the subject to make sure his friend was okay.

Hajime nodded “Yeah, it’s much better out here.”  he stumbled towards the edge of the rooftop, almost losing his footing.

“Woah there!” Nagito reached out and grabbed Hajime by the waist, pulling him in before he did something stupid like fall off. Perhaps the roof hadn't been the best place after all.

Hajime paused, there he was standing with Nagito’s arms wrapped around him. If he wasn’t so drunk he would have appreciated the moment more. Hajime turned around to face him, causing Nagito to let go.

“S-sorry for grabbing you like that, I thought you might fall.” Nagito’s cheeks flushed red. His face was so close to Hajime’s that Hajime could feel his breath as he spoke.

“It’s okay, I liked it.” Hajime said. The alcohol had given him a sudden confidence boost, he never would have said it otherwise.

“You didn’t mind someone like me touching you?” Nagito said softly, his words close to a whisper.

Hajime didn't respond. Instead, he reached out and grabbed Nagito's hand with his own. Nagito looked unsure but let Hajime guide him until his hand was cupping Hajime’s face. “I like being close to you.” Hajime said.

Nagito was still blushing, but smiling too. He pulled his hand from Hajime's face, moving it to his waist instead. 

It was Hajime who moved in first. Blessed with drunken confidence, he reached out, gently running a hand through Nagito’s hair. His lips grazed Nagito’s gently, when the boy didn’t edge away, Hajime pressed with more force. This time Nagito kissed back, pushing his own lips against Hajime’s, his grip on Hajime's waist tightened. Hajime didn't want to ever stop, Nagito was everything he wanted. A moment he'd dreamed of for so long was finally coming true.

In a city so large, Nagito felt like home.

Hajime pulled away slowly, his eyes still fixated on Nagito. He began to giggle “I think we should get back to the party.” he grabbed Nagito by the wrist and dragged him off the rooftop, the taste of the kiss still fresh on his lips.

They burst back into the gymnasium, full of giddy excitement. Their hearts still racing from a moment they would share forever. 

Sayaka made a beeline for Hajime the second she saw him, desperate to keep her party under control. "How's he doing?" her question aimed at Nagito, it was like Hajime wasn't even standing there. 

Despite that, Hajime still spoke up for himself. "I'm doing a lot-" he tried to finish his sentence but he couldn't. Suddenly, everything felt too much. The speakers were too loud, the lights were too bright, the room was too hot, there were too many people and he'd had too much to drink. There was no time to stop it or move out the way. His body lurched forward as he wretched, regurgitating the entirety of his dinner over Sayaka and her immaculate dress. She let out an ear piercing scream.

“Sorry.” was all he could say as he wiped the vomit away from the corner of his mouth.

 

***

 

“Hajime!”

Hajime woke with a groan, the sound of heavy footsteps disturbed him from dreaming. His head was pounding as if someone was using it as a punching bag. He ripped the duvet off, feeling hot and clammy.

“Hajime!”

The voice called out again, Hajime’s head was hurting too much to try and figure out who it belonged to. He soon got his answer when the door opened and in walked Nagito. He was holding a tray of toast and orange juice. “Oh, did I wake you? I’m so sorry, I thought you were already up.”

Nagito looked refreshed and energetic. Hajime couldn’t remember much about the night before but he guessed Nagito hadn’t drunk much since he wasn’t huddled up in bed nursing a hangover.

“I brought this back from the canteen. I figured you’d be hungry.” Nagito explained, he set the tray down on the floor, careful not to spill the  juice. He sat himself down on the end of the bottom bunk, careful not to squash Hajime's legs. “How are you feeling?”

“Like shit.” Hajime admitted as he clutched his head. It took him a minute to remember why he had a hangover in the first place, everything seemed like such a blur. He remembered turning up at the gym for Sayaka’s party, but everything from then on seemed like one giant mess. He couldn’t even remember how he got back to his dorm. Had Nagito brought him back? Had he even seen Nagito at the party?

“Um, so about what happened last night…” Nagito said, the corner of his mouth turned up into a smile.

Hajime cut him off. Nagito’s words had triggered a memory, making it clear in his mind. The last thing he remembered: throwing up all over the party host. He let out a loud gasp “Oh my god, I can’t believe that happened.”

“I know.” Nagito smiled “I was thinking about it all night.”

“Uhh, I’m so embarrassed.” Hajime shielded his face with his hands. He dreaded to think what had happened before that. Perhaps it was a good thing he was missing memories. 

“You’re embarrassed about it?” Nagito’s face fell, the smile disappearing.

“Yes!” he exclaimed, unsure how Nagito was so positive about the incident. A night of getting drunk and throwing up on someone, it wasn’t something Hajime wanted to remember. “I can’t believe I did that.”

“Y-you regret it?” Nagito said timidly.

"Of course I regret it! I'll never let myself do something so stupid again." Hajime said sternly. He knew his drunken antics would be the talk of the school all week.

“I should have realised you didn’t really feel that way. You were drunk.” Nagito sighed.

Hajime didn’t understand what Nagito was saying, he wasn't making sense. However, he didn't want to talk about the matter anymore, so he decided not to ask any further questions. “Promise me that you’ll never talk about it again.” having his classmates tease him was going to be bad enough, the last thing he needed was Nagito bringing it up too.

“If that’s what you want.” Nagito lowered his head. He pushed himself off the mattress and edged towards the door “Um, I think I’ll go for a walk. There’s your breakfast if you want it.” he paused in the doorframe “Hajime, things won’t be weird between us now, right?”

Hajime frowned, noticing a sudden change in his friend’s behaviour. He didn't understand it. “Of course not. Things will never be weird between us, you’re my best friend.”

“Best friends...right.” Nagito repeated. Hajime could’ve sworn he saw tears in his eyes as he walked away but he put it down to his imagination.

 


	3. You're running circles in my head.

“This is your principal speaking. Hope’s Peak Academy students must make their way to the gymnasium _immediately_. Those who fail to attend will be punished.”

Hajime had barely finished his toast when the announcement rang through the school’s sound system. It was a good thing he'd taken a shower before eating, the last thing he wanted was to turn up in yesterday’s clothes smelling of sweat, alcohol and vomit. 

He wanted to stay in bed, his head was killing him and he still felt nauseous. However, he didn't like the idea of the punishment the principal had mentioned. Hopefully, whatever the principal wanted wouldn't take too long. He downed some aspirin, it would have to do.

The hallway outside the dormitories was bustling with students, most of them frustrated at being dragged from their rooms so early on a Saturday. Hajime kept a lookout for Nagito, but there was no sign of the boy. Hajime had been hoping to bump into him, it always strange going somewhere without Nagito by his side.

“Good morning, Hajime.” Hajime was greeted by Sonia who was in the process of locking her door, he considered her one of his better friends at school.

“Morning.” Hajime replied, trying to keep his voice down. Even listening to himself hurt his head.

“It does not sound like the Principal is impressed.” Sonia said, pocketing the key to her dorm. 

“Yeah.” Hajime agreed “I don't think it takes a genius to figure out why he's mad.”

The two of them walked to the gymnasium together, speculating about the different punishments they might receive. They passed many students on their way, but none of them Nagito.

The gym was in a state, a mixture of a teen movie and a disaster film. It was no surprise the principal was angry, no one had bothered to clean up or hide any evidence of the party. Hajime didn't feel like he was to blame, he'd been too intoxicated to have cleaned up. All the students were sat on the bleachers, carefully avoiding the leftover bottles and wrappers.

Sonia and Hajime found some room near the back. They sat down together, avoiding as much rubbish as possible. Jin Kirigiri was standing on the stage, whispering to another member of staff. The students made the most of the opportunity and chatted among themselves.

“Oh look, isn't that Nagito?” Sonia extended a delicate arm and pointed to the entrance of the gym.

It would be hard to miss him, Nagito wasn't the sort of person to blend in with a crowd. Hajime wanted to call out to him, but the principal already seemed mad - only an idiot would push his temper further. Instead, Hajime waved his arms frantically, hoping to catch Nagito’s attention.

It worked. Nagito looked up at Hajime and Sonia. Hajime beckoned him to join, there was room for three. Nagito shook his head in protest and mouthed something which Hajime couldn’t make out, he took a seat by himself in the front row.

“Does he not want to join us?” Sonia asked Hajime.

Hajime frowned, all he could see was the back of Nagito’s head. There was clearly enough room on the bench, so why had chosen to sit alone? “He probably doesn’t want to climb up all the benches.” Hajime said, not wanting to entertain the idea that Nagito was avoiding him.

“Students, may I have your attention please!” Jin Kirigiri leant into the microphone placed on the stage, speaking through it clearly. The chatter died down instantly, the students could see the principal wasn’t in the mood to be messed with. “I don’t think I need to explain why I have summoned you here.”

Hajime was embarrassed to admit it, but he tuned out after the first sentence. The Principal droned on for at least twenty minutes. Hajime would pick out the occasional word, like how the principal used 'disappointed' eleven times. His attention was focused on Nagito, or the back of his head at least. Was something wrong or was Hajime reading into things too deeply? 

It was the use of the word 'punishment' which brought Hajime back to reality. 

“There is no way of telling who attended the party, and I doubt anyone is going to own up. Thus, students will be punished as a whole. All students will be expected to spend the day cleaning up the school. I want everything looking spotless. You will be expected to give up your entire Saturday and there will be serious consequences for any student who refuses to help out.”

There was an outcry as soon as the principal finished speaking.

_“It’s not fair I wasn’t at that party.”_

_“But I had plans for today!”_

_“I’m not cleaning up other people’s crap.”_

It was frustrating, but Hajime held no resentment towards the punishment. Even if he couldn’t remember it, he had attended the party. It was only fair he faced the consequence.

The students were able to sign up for different cleaning activities so that everyone didn’t focus on one area. Hajime thought about signing up for recycling, but changed his mind when he saw the amount of people already on the list. He looked around for Nagito in the hope they could pick something together, but the boy was nowhere to be found. Had he already signed up for something? Hajime tried to shake the thought from his mind, Nagito wouldn’t do something like that without him...right?

Hajime put his name down for litter picking. It wasn’t the most glamorous choice, but at least it allowed him to go outside and make something of his Saturday. He headed to the field, trash bag and litter picker in hand.

Picking up other people's rubbish was not something to be enjoyed. Hajime wasn't sure how much more he could take after he picked up a third mouldy banana skin, his classmates were certainly disgusting. No wonder it hadn't been a very popular option. The occasional teacher came out to check on them, but the students outside were mainly left alone. Hajime made the most of the opportunity and wandered peacefully around the school grounds, not picking up as much litter as he could have done.

“Surprise!”

“Awahh!” Hajime let out a loud squeal as something pinched his lower leg. He jolted around to see who was assaulting him, he'd already figured out that the 'weapon' was a litter picker. 

“Jeez! Cheer up, Hajime.” Hajime had never seen the girl before in his life, yet somehow she knew his name. She stood there swinging the litter picker back and forth as if it were a hockey stick.

“How’d you know my name?” Hajime narrowed his eyes at the girl, cutting straight to the point.

“After yesterday’s party, everyone knows your name!” the girl laughed at him.

Hajime dragged his palm across his face in frustration, he was never going to live it down. Even strangers were teasing him about it.

“I’m Junko Enoshima!” the girl introduced herself with a broad smile “Roommates with the girl you covered in your vomit last night.”

“Oh man.” Hajime felt his face turning red “Sayaka must hate me.”

“Put it this way…” Junko said, a cruel smile forming on her face “She cried herself to sleep last night. It was brilliant!”

“That doesn’t sound like a good thing…” Hajime frowned.

“The despair that it brought…” Junko took a moment to bask in what she was saying before snapping back into reality “Anyway, I guess I should apologise because it's my fault you threw up. I spiked the punch."

“You spiked it?” Hajime questioned her. A rumour had been travelling around that a group of boys had done it, but with the mischievous look on Junko's face it wasn't hard to believe that she was the culprit.

“That party was sooooo boring.” Junko rolled her eyes “I had to do something to liven it up! And boy did it work.”

Hajime knew he should have been mad, but he found himself laughing. “I won’t hold a grudge. If anything you’ve done me a favour.” he said, “That party sounded pretty awful, thanks to you I don’t have to remember it.”

Junko giggled “So, who’s that guy you were with at the party? He your boyfriend?”

Though Hajime had no real memories of the party, it didn’t take a genius to work out who Junko was talking about. There was no one else he would have gone to the party with. “Nagito?”

“The cutie patootie with the white hair?” Junko asked, widening her eyes.

“That’s Nagito Komaeda.” Hajime confirmed “But he’s not my boyfriend or anything. We’ve been best friends since we came to Hope’s Peak.”

“You aren’t together?” Junko raised her eyebrows, continuing to pry “You don’t like him or anything…do you?”

“Of course not.” Hajime lied, it was the answer he always gave when faced with that question. He hated having to lie, but he didn’t trust anyone with his secret. Especially not someone he'd just met.

“Oh thank god.” Junko exclaimed, suddenly full of violent energy “That would have been sooooo fuckin' awkward!”

“Awkward?” Hajime repeated, it wasn’t the word he would have used.

“Well yeah, imagine if you actually liked him." Junko's tone softened considerably, she spoke with little expression as if she'd just received bad news. "If you guys have been friends for a long time and he hasn’t said anything about liking you, then well he’s probably not that into you.” 

Hajime felt his heart sink, there was a truth to Junko's words which he'd never considered before. The entire time, Hajime presumed that Nagito had never said anything because he was shy. What if the real reason was that he didn't return the feelings? "Yeah...that would suck." he said, hoping Junko hadn't picked up on his long pause. 

If Junko had noticed, she didn't say anything "Well then I might go after him myself." she followed up with a laugh "I'm joking! You don't need to look so terrified."

Hajime hadn't realised his reaction had been so obvious. "I'm not terrified!" he said, the urgency in his voice sounded too defensive.

"Relax." Junko mocked rolling her eyes at him "Teenage boys are so afraid of everything." 

Thankfully, Hajime didn't have to try and argue his case any further. A member of staff came onto the field to tell them cleaning duty was over and that all students could return to their days as they pleased. 

Junko cleared off the moment she was granted freedom, leaving Hajime to walk by himself. Not that he really minded, there was something about Junko that made him feel uncomfortable.  

The gym had returned back to normal, whoever cleaned it had done a fantastic job, it was as if the party had never happened. Hajime handed in his bag of rubbish and litter picker. He knew the whole thing had been a waste of time, the field would be covered in more litter by the morning. 

“Hey, Hajime!”

There were so many people, it took him a few seconds to locate who was calling him. For the second time that day he was greeted by Junko Enoshima. She was standing with her group of friends and beckoned him over with a friendly wave. Hajime decided to approach her, at least she wasn't armed with a litter picker anymore.

“Fancy seeing you again.” Hajime laughed. He took a second to look around the group, there was one person he recognised far too well. “Uh….hi Sayaka…”

“Um, hi.” Sayaka squeaked, taking a step back from Hajime as if projectile vomiting was something he did often.

“Let, uh, let me give you some money for a new dress.” Hajime said, barely making eye contact with the girl.

“No, it’s fine.” Sayaka protested, probably to end the conversation with Hajime as quickly as possible.

"Keep the dress so we can relive that moment over and over!" Junko laughed, enjoying Sayaka's misery. "Hajime, let me introduce you to everyone." she pointed to each person as she said their name "This is Makoto, Sayaka, Leon and...oh, you're new." her finger hovered in the direction of a person Hajime had least expected to see. 

Nagito faced Hajime with little expression on his face. “Ah, good evening Hajime.”

Hajime couldn't quite believe it, he'd been looking out for Nagito all day and there he was standing with a group of first years. "Nagito..."

Leon grinned at Hajime, totally interrupting him “Well it's nice to meet you, the Duke of puke!”

A new nickname for Hajime to add to the collection. He supplied Leon with a fake smile “Aha, funny.” he hoped the sarcasm in his voice was obvious. 

“I know right!” Leon laughed, impressed with his own joke.

Hajime didn’t pursue the conversation with Leon any further, he returned his attention to Nagito. “I haven’t seen you all day!” Hajime exclaimed, it was unlike him to be away from his best friend for such a long period of time. “I thought we could pick a cleaning duty together but you shot off before I had the chance to find you.”

“Sorry about that.” Nagito apologised, though he didn't sound entirely sincere “I thought it would be best to give you some space because of your hangover.”  
  
“Ah.” Hajime nodded. Was Nagito’s reason for ignoring him because he cared so much? Hajime wanted to believe it but something still felt off. “So what duty did you end up doing? I chose litter picking.”

“I was scraping gum from underneath desks in all the classrooms.” Nagito answered, not seeming grossed out in the slightest.

“I bet that was fun.” Hajime wrinkled his nose in disgust.

“It was actually.” Nagito said, smiling a little “That's how I got to meet Sayaka, Leon and Makoto. They're all so kind, choosing to spend their time with someone like me."

“Thanks, Nagito.” Makoto grinned “You were really fun to hang out with.”

“I had a lot of fun, despite everything.” Sayaka smiled in agreement.

“Oh, well that’s good.” Hajime said, trying to be happy for his friend. He couldn't deny that it hurt hearing Nagito had fun without him.

“Good indeed.” Nagito said, adding little to the conversation, as a result bringing it to an end.

Hajime felt like there was an anchor in his chest, weighing him down. Something was wrong with Nagito. It seemed like he was upset, or angry, or maybe even both. Hajime didn’t want to start up any drama, but he hated the idea of his best friend being mad with him. “Should we get heading back to our dorm? Dinner's soon and I'd like to change."

"That's a good idea." Nagito said, he waved to the others in the group "I'll see you all later."

The walk back to their dorm was uncomfortable to say the least. Nagito was a lot quieter than usual and only spoke to Hajime when asked a question - though he seemed quite gushing talking about the time he'd spent with Makoto, Leon and Sayaka. 

Hajime couldn't take it anymore, the paranoia was eating away at him. It wasn't just a coincidence, something was most definitely wrong. He cornered Nagito the minute they reached their dorm. "Nagito...can I ask you something?"

"If you'd like." Nagito replied casually, taking a seat at their desk. 

"I..." Hajime found himself stumbling over his words, he wasn't sure what to say without coming across as needy. "A...are you upset with me?" he wanted to take back the words the minute he said them, they were too manipulative.

“Upset with you?” Nagito shook his head “Hajime, I could never be upset with you.” his tone shifted, the coldness from his voice disappeared.

“I’ve been worrying all day that you're mad at me.” Hajime let out nervous laughter, still not entirely convinced that Nagito was telling the truth. "You seem...distant."

"I just wanted to give you some space after what happened." Nagito explained honestly, this time Hajime believed him. 

"Space?" Hajime repeated "Nagito, I don't need space from you." why did Nagito think they needed space in the first place? Had Hajime been too aggressive that morning? “I know I was a little blunt this morning. Look, if I upset you…”  
  
Nagito cut him off “Do you really want to be bringing this up? I thought you wanted to forget about it.”  
  
“Well, I do.” Hajime said, though his entire day had been filled with reminders of his incident “But…”  
  
Nagito shook his head “Some things are better left buried, Hajime. Let’s just leave it at that.”

Hajime couldn’t understand why his tone was so serious, but he wasn’t going to argue any further. "So everything's good between us?” he wanted to be sure.

Nagito stood up from his seat “Of course, Hajime. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” he smiled reassuringly. 

“I really missed you today.” Hajime said honestly, his heart on his sleeve. 

“Hey, I was thinking. Did you want to go out for dinner?” Nagito asked him, as if to change the subject. Hajime pretended not to notice, but Nagito never said he missed him back. 

“Sure.” Hajime nodded enthusiastically, it would make up for his bad day to spend some quality time with Nagito.

“Sayaka and Makoto were telling me earlier about this amazing restaurant they’ve discovered in town.” Nagito explained, “I can’t believe they’ve only been here a week and they’re finding places we’ve never heard of.”

“That’s sounds good.” Hajime said, the familiar feeling of jealousy rising in his chest. Why was he getting so upset with Nagito mentioning his new ‘friends’? 

“Shall I call up and reserve a table?” Nagito asked, already reaching into his jeans for his phone. 

Hajime nodded “You never know how busy it’s going to be on a Saturday. But don’t worry, we can always go and get burgers from somewhere else if they're overbooked.”

Nagito typed away on his phone “I’m sure they’ll have a table for six, but it’s best to be sure.”  
  
“S-six?” Hajime cocked his head in confusion.

“Yeah.” Nagito counted on his fingers “You, me, Makoto, Sayaka, Leon and Junko.”

“We’re all going?” Hajime tried his best to conceal the disappointment in his voice, he’d misinterpreted Nagito’s offer.

“If they want to come of course, I haven’t asked them yet.” Nagito laughed “I would totally understand if they didn’t want to spend their evening with me.”

Hajime joined in with the laughter, but he didn’t mean it. Nagito had said nothing was wrong, but Hajime wasn’t going to lie to himself. For reasons he didn’t know why, something had changed. He knew he sounded crazy, but he felt like he was losing his best friend...

...and it hurt. 

  
 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took an entire week to get this chapter out. I'm kind of in a weird headspace right now.  
> I'm hoping not to take as long this week so I aim to update in a few days.  
> Thanks for reading :D


	4. I’m afraid to lose you and you’re not even mine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I'd update after a few days and never did, sorry about that. There are reasons but I don't want to bore you explaining them haha.  
> Thanks for being patient! :D

The restaurant was packed, but Nagito managed to secure a table over the phone. To Hajime’s disappointment, Nagito’s new friends were free and more than willing to come. The only silver lining was that everyone agreed to meet at the restaurant, meaning Hajime got to enjoy a few minutes alone with Nagito on the train.

Upon arrival, a waitress pointed them to a table where Sayaka, Leon, Junko and Makoto were already sitting. Feeling awkward, Hajime took his seat, his only choice was the one opposite Leon.

"Nice to see you again, Nagito." Makoto smiled. "You too, Hajime." it was clear Hajime was only an afterthought.

“Yeah, hey.” Hajime tried to muster up as much enthusiasm as possible.

“I love it here, the food is so good. Have you ever been?” Sayaka asked politely, seemingly less afraid of Hajime now.

“Uh, no.” Hajime replied. He reached out for a menu, anything that would provide a distraction was good enough.

“Oh, well it’s really great.” Sayaka continued, despite not being asked anything in return. “I really recommend skipping a starter so you have room for dessert, they're to die for."

“Right.” Hajime nodded at her, he wasn’t interested.

“Sorry we’re late.” Nagito apologised to the table, adding with a laugh. “The trains were running really late.”

“It’s okay.” Leon smiled, brushing it aside. “We were early anyway.”

Junko picked up one of the menus, a look of disgust upon her face. “I really don’t know what to have. Everything seems so...unoriginal and boring.”

“I thought this place was supposedly amazing?” Hajime raised his eyebrows. Junko hadn't given a glowing review like the others.

“Oh, it is!” Makoto reassured him. “Junko’s just being fussy.”

The waitress came over to the table to take their orders. Hajime scanned the menu quickly, the faster he picked something the quicker the meal would be over with.

Nagito went first. “Can I please take a lemonade and the chicken noodles?”

The waitress nodded and wrote down his order, she turned to Leon.

“I’m having the chicken noodles too!” he laughed - Hajime didn’t understand why, it wasn’t funny.

“Looks like you two have similar taste.” Sayaka giggled at them.

Hajime rolled his eyes. He couldn't understand the humour in two people choosing the same dish, it didn't mean they were suddenly soul mates.

“And what can I get for you, sir?” the waitress asked, pen hovering above her notepad.

“Uh…the Caesar salad.” Hajime said, picking the first thing he saw. He had no idea what a Caesar salad even was, but he didn’t care so long as it was edible.

The waitress continued around the table, finishing off all their orders. She headed back to the kitchen once the orders were complete, leaving the six of them to make conversation.

“Hajime, did you know that Sayaka’s a singer?” Nagito asked eagerly, happy to talk about his new friends.

“I didn’t know that.” Hajime said, nor did he care to know.

“Do you sing?” Sayaka asked Hajime, twirling her hair around on her finger.

“Yeah, badly.” Hajime said, trying to lighten up with a joke. No one laughed back. He couldn’t understand how they found the chicken noodles funny but not that.

“I'm trying to get Nagito to sing with me.” Sayaka complained. “But he won’t.”

Nagito lowered his head bashfully. “You’re the talented singer, not me.”

“No, I’m sure you’re amazing too!” gushed Sayaka.

Hajime turned his attention from the table, the humble contest made him want to vomit. He looked over to the kitchen to see if the waitress was ready yet, but there was no sign of her. With a sigh he focused back on the conversation.

“And of course, Sayaka isn’t the only talented one here.” Nagito carried on. “Leon tells me he's amazing at baseball."

“I can teach you how to pitch if you’d like.” Leon said to Nagito, scrunching his napkin up into a make shift ball.

“I couldn’t possibly ask that of you.” Nagito protested. “Someone as worthless as me does not deserve to share your talent.”

Hajime rolled his eyes, here came the humble competition again.

“Have you got any talents or hobbies, Hajime?” Makoto asked, leaning across the table.

“Uh…” Hajime hated being put on the spot, he also hated to admit that he wasn't particularly skilled at anything. He was all round average and he knew it.

“Hajime is a really good friend, I think that could be a talent.” Nagito said, stepping in for him.

“Wow, that’s so cute.” Junko said, her tone patronising.

Hajime gritted his teeth, he didn’t need Nagito taking pity on him. He felt humiliated already and their drinks hadn’t even arrived. Coming along had been a big mistake. 

Junko dominated the conversation, telling everyone at the table about a possible modelling contract she had. It wasn’t the most thrilling subject, but Hajime preferred that than hearing about how talented everyone else was. 

The waitress finally arrived with their meals, the chef had certainly taken their time. With food in front of him, Hajime had something else he could give his attention to. He stabbed his fork into his salad, bringing it slowly to his mouth. He wanted to throw up the minute the food touched his lips, the Caesar salad was revolting.

“These chicken noodles are great, don’t you think?” Leon said to Nagito, talking with his mouth full.

“Definitely.” Nagito nodded enthusiastically. “I think they’re the best noodles I’ve ever tasted, thank you for recommending this place to me.”

“Do you have any other favourite foods, Nagito?” Sayaka asked, tucking into her own dinner.

“Hmmm…” Nagito paused to give the question some serious thought.

Hajime tried his best not to stab himself with a fork, it was the sort of question he expected a five year old to ask. He hated being on edge, but he couldn't take any more of it. He was missing out on an evening with Nagito to spend his time with a group of people who clearly he didn't want him there. He pushed out his chair, getting up from the table. "I think I'm gonna go."

"Already?" Makoto raised his eyebrows. "But you've only just gotten your food."  
  
Hajime refused to take another mouthful of the revolting salad, even if someone paid him to do so. One mouthful had put him off for life. "I've got a really bad headache, it's killing me. I just wanna go back to bed." he lied through his teeth, it seemed like the best excuse for leaving the dinner.

"Oh, that's a shame." Nagito frowned.

Hajime reached into his pocket for his wallet, despite hating the food he still had manners to pay for his share. "How much do I owe you guys?"  
  
Makoto shook his head. "We'll pay for your food, just focus on getting better."

Hajime hated how nice Makoto was being, it made him feel guiltier for leaving. 

Leon pulled Hajime's salad towards himself, taking his food without even asking. "See ya later then." he said, making it pretty clear he wasn't going to miss Hajime.

Hajime looked across Nagito, half hoping he'd join him and help accompany him home. Unfortunately, Nagito did nothing of the sort. He just waved, giving Hajime a sympathetic smile. "I'll check on you when we get back. I hope you feel better."

The train ride back was lonely without Nagito there. Hajime had no choice but to stare out the window, occasionally watching the other passengers on the train. Nagito meant nothing by staying behind, but Hajime couldn't help but take it personally. He knew he was being selfish, Nagito had always been his and now there were four other people in the picture. 

Though he hadn't eaten, Hajime's appetite was completely gone by the time he arrived back at school. The canteen was still open but he couldn't bring himself to eat anything. He headed straight to his dormitory, somewhere he could rest in peace. It had been less than an hour since he'd left the restaurant, so he knew Nagito wouldn't be back for a while. Still, he couldn't help hoping that Nagito would burst through the door at any moment. He just wanted to reassure himself that everything was okay. He couldn't shake the feeling that Nagito was avoiding spending time alone together. 

Hajime pulled out his laptop with the attempt to pass the time. There was no school work hanging over his head, so he had nothing better to do. He tried to find something online to capture his attention, but he was too distracted to commit himself to anything. He couldn't stop clock watching as he pointlessly wasted his time. Relaxing was impossible until he cleared the air with Nagito.

He knew by eight thirty that Nagito was no longer in the restaurant, no one stayed out for dinner that long. By nine thirty he knew they'd gone somewhere else, because it didn't take that long to travel home. And by ten thirty he gave up hope of seeing Nagito altogether. Why was he still out that late? What was he doing? Was he still with all the others? Had he thought about Hajime at all? The questions were eating him alive, not allowing him a chance to think of anything else. Nagito knew that Hajime hadn't been feeling well, or so he believed anyway, yet he hadn't even sent a text to see if he was okay. 

Hajime took himself to bed just after eleven, at least he couldn't overthink things when he was sleeping. He lay on his back, staring up at the top bunk where Nagito slept. Things had been perfect only a couple of days ago up on the rooftop. The entire world had been in front of them, it was like something from a movie. Now it all felt wrong, like an invisible barrier had been set between them. 

It soon became apparent to Hajime that he wasn't going to get any sleep. No matter how hard he closed his eyes, he couldn't drift off. He lay there with the lights off, occasionally checking his phone to see the time. The screen would light up the room, illuminating his face.

**23:19**

**23:53**

**00:06**

**00:39**

**00:51**

**01:15**

The door creaked open, just after one thirty. Hajime had left it unlocked just in case Nagito had forgotten his key. Nagito crept straight into their bathroom, taking his jacket off as he did so. Hajime lay there silently. He'd been desperate to speak to Nagito, yet now he was there he had nothing to say. He stayed silent, even after Nagito emerged from the bathroom.

"Hajime, are you awake?" Nagito whispered, readying himself to climb the stairs to the top bunk.

Hajime chewed down on his lip, hard. He kept his eyes closed, hoping his fake sleeping was convincing. 

Nagito gave up after a couple seconds, climbing the stairs to his bed. "Goodnight." he called out gently.

There was no reply.

 

***

 

It was unlike Hajime to be up so early, especially on a Sunday morning. Most weekends he wouldn't roll out of bed until at least noon, he wasn't a morning person. Somehow, he'd woken naturally at seven thirty feeling full of energy. Instead of a taking a pointless lie in, he'd decided to get up and go for a walk - he'd been told many a time it was the best medicine for clearing your mind. He'd managed to sneak out without disturbing Nagito, it was a walk he wanted to take alone.

That's how he found himself outside before eight o'clock that Sunday morning. Wandering the streets nearby the school with no real destination in mind. It was refreshing being out with so little people around. He passed the occasional jogger, but most people were fast asleep. The weather was holding up nicely too, his hoodie was just enough to keep warm. 

The walk was perfect for clearing his mind, it gave him enough time to think things over properly. He actually started to feel guilty for ditching the meal the night previous, he'd barely made an effort with any of Nagito's new friends and quite frankly he'd been rude. He put his behaviour down to shock, since he'd never been in a situation like that before. It had always been him and Nagito, the two of them and no one else. On the odd occasion someone else did tag along, it would always be a mutual friend that they were both close with. Not a group of people who were there for Nagito, and were only talking to Hajime for the sake of being nice. 

Hajime continued on his walk, releasing how selfish he'd been. Just because Nagito had eaten dinner with some of the first years, it didn't mean he was suddenly going to ditch. The situation brightened in Hajime's mind, he started smiling to himself. All that paranoia for nothing, he'd been working himself up over something entirely stupid. Nagito was his best friend, he was always going to be around. No one could break them apart.

With a sense of new optimism, Hajime decided it was time to return back to school. He was determined to take walks more often, it had seriously helped. He passed a small bakery on his way back to school, the smell of fresh bread drew him in. He felt around in the pocket of his hoodie, he had enough change to buy something. He stopped inside to pick up some breakfast for himself and Nagito, wanting to do something to make up for his rude behaviour. 

He hurried back to school, not wanting the fresh pastries to go cold. He also wanted to make it back before Nagito woke up to ensure he didn't go and eat breakfast in the canteen.

He made it back just in time. Nagito was sat up in bed, running a hand through his bed hair in the attempt to control it. "Hajime!" he exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. "There you are, I was worried where you'd disappeared to." 

"Sorry, I went for a walk. I probably should have left you a note or something." Hajime apologised, hunting for the paper plates they kept in their room.

"It's unlike you to be up early." Nagito laughed.

"Yeah well, it's unlike you to be up so late." Hajime retorted in good humour, setting out their breakfast.

"It is rather unusual." Nagito agreed, grinning. "I didn't get in until late, so I was pretty tired."

"I, uh, never heard you come in." Hajime lied, with the hope it wasn't obvious. "Why were you out so late?" he couldn't help but pry, even though he felt better about the situation he was still curious.

"Junko said it was too early to go back after we'd finished our food, so we went down to the arcades. When those shut we ended up just wandering around town." Nagito explained, climbing down from the bunk bed to join Hajime.

"Ah." Hajime said, he was definitely glad he'd left when he did. "Well uh, it sounds like you had...fun." 

"It was pretty good." Nagito nodded in agreement. "Though it wasn't the same without you there, I wish you'd stayed longer." 

Hajime couldn't help but smile to himself, Nagito had missed him after all. It was the best compliment he could have given him. "I brought breakfast with me." he said, changing the subject.

"Those smell great!" Nagito said, sniffing the air. "It beats having toast in the canteen." he added with a laugh.

"My thoughts exactly." Hajime grinned, handing Nagito a plate.

They sat together on Hajime's bed, eating their pastries. There was laughter and smiling, they talked to each other like they usually would. Things were back to normal. Hajime knew he had nothing to worry about...or so he thought.

They spent the rest of the day hanging out together. It had been a perfect, relaxing Sunday...until the evening. The boys had gone to the canteen for dinner, when Nagito realised he'd left his wallet back in the dormitory. He insisted Hajime get started on his own dinner whilst he went to retrieve it. Everything had been fine, Hajime didn't mind eating dinner alone since he knew it was only for a few minutes. Things only turned sour when a pigtail wearing girl pulled out a seat at his table.

"All by yourself?" she smiled, twirling a strand of hair with her finger.

"Hey, Junko." Hajime smiled, though he wasn't particularly in the mood to speak to her. "No, Nagito forgot his money. He'll be back any minute."

"Oh, that's good." Junko replied. "I thought for a minute he'd ditched you."

"Nagito wouldn't ditch me, he's a good friend." Hajime snapped defensively.

"Calm down." Junko rolled her eyes. "I was just saying. I mean, he seemed pretty friendly with everyone yesterday. He wouldn't shut up about how much fun he was having."

Hajime wasn't sure what Junko was trying to imply, but he didn't like it. Her behaviour seemed to have changed and she was making him uncomfortable. He decided to stay silent and carried on eating his food, hoping she'd get the hint to leave.

"Ooh someone looks upset!" she spoke to him like he were a child. "Listen up, I have some advice for you."  
  
"I don't need any advice, but thanks." Hajime said cooly.

"Well tough, because I'm telling you anyways." Junko giggled. "I can tell you're pretty possessive over Nagito, it's always just been you and him. Right? Well, Hajime, you shouldn't be so dependent on one person, it's not healthy. What are you going to do when Nagito eventually ditches you for another group of friends?"

"Why are you so convinced that Nagito is going to ditch me?" Hajime glared at her, he didn't understand what she was talking about.

Junko dropped her tone, suddenly sounding void of any emotions. "It's just because of something he said last night. I'm trying to look out for you, Hajime. I have your best interest at heart."

He wasn't sure if he believed her, but he had to know more. "W-what did he say?" 

Junko looked out into the distance. "He said yesterday was the most fun he's had in ages."

Hajime didn't know what to say. Had Nagito really said that? Was he not fun anymore? 

"Friendships don't last forever, Hajime." Junko stood up from the table, straightening out her skirt. "Isn't it better to burn than to fade away? Replace Nagito before he has the chance to replace you."

If only Hajime had seen the cruel smile on Junko's face as she walked away from the table, he would have known that she was lying and he wouldn't go ahead to make the biggest mistake of his life.


End file.
